Chicken Picking

Hi Paul Protec21!

Welcome to GuitarNoise!

I guess it's possible it's your strings, especially if they're old.

I like Chickin' Pickin'. I have two methods to get it. One is where you pick the string with your pick and then let your thumb graze the string. You do that in one motion. It takes lots of practice. This is the same method Metal players use to get "whistle" notes.

I remember watching ZZ Top many years ago playing La Grange. Billy Gibbons was playing that fantastic solo with all the whistle notes. What surprised me was that he was using all upstrokes to do that. So perhaps he was letting his index finger or even fingernail graze the string after he picked it. He was using lots of overdrive so it came out as a whistle. Clean, it would have been Chickin' Pickin'. He is a master of this technique.

Another method is to pinch the string. Some even call this pinched notes.
You can pinch the string with your thumb and index or middle finger. It takes a little practice to get the timing just right and snap off a note, but I think you can get even better harmonics with this method than the other. You could probably pinch the string between your pick and middle or ring finger as well.

If you are playing electric, you will probably find it much easier to get the effect using your bridge pickup.

errr chicken picking?

I've heard the b bender is great for that, albert lee uses one, although it has nothing to do with the actual pick technique. i have grown my finernails on my picking hand out slightly, that helps a lot for fingerstyle over all. Try that, you'll definately get more of a twang sound.

Like Wes said, use the bridge pu, that will definately help as well

errr chicken picking?

Go here: http://www.johnnyhiland.com/music.htm

Listen to the mp3 "That's Alright Mama"

THIS is chikin' pickin' at it's best.

errr chicken picking?

Go here: http://www.johnnyhiland.com/music.htm

Listen to the mp3 "That's Alright Mama"

THIS is chikin' pickin' at it's best.

:shock:

Hey moonrider that was a great link. I didn't know what chickin pickin was but that cleared it up. Great guitar work.

Even better is this kids Bio...legally blind, been playing music since he was a youngster, went to college, decided that he didn't really want to go to college he just wanted to play guitar. When his counselor tried to dissuade him from dropping out of college, Johnny took him back to his room and played a few tunes for him. His counselor was so impressed he payed for his plane ticket to nashville. The rest, as they say, is history! My teacher just told me about him today at my lesson and played his recording of "Orange Blossom Special". I hate hearing recordings like that. It makes me want to quit my job and lock myself in my house until I can play that well!